Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-12-18
rrou FIRST PUBLIsatDl
RvJAMES GRANT,
frbe Right of Translation is Reserved
AN EyENTFUL sTokG.


CHAPTER xLvu.-THE r W. F. REGIMENT
This accession of company filed Dici
with some conservation ard dismay
Unused, as yet, to any discipline anC
undeterred by tie presence or authority O
Sergeant Hawksley, the recruits were
noisy, and as rough and brutal in manner
and language IS any street Arabs could
well be, snd, Iise too much of th'
: material that now swell our ranks, theI
were not from the agricultural districts
but from the recesses of London-tha
8 city Of tie slums-and in their dilapi-
dated attire, like their general aspect
I betokened an early struggle with work
crime and misery.
& Dick was instantly eyed over as 6
I victim TO fleece or torment in some
fashion, but to sundry unmistskable
hints, as TO how glad they would be ste
drink his jolly good 'eeltb," he could
make no response.
However, some had q little money
among them, and early though the hour,
they proceeded, IS they phrased it, "to
liquor up and have another wet" as they
were nearly al the result OF the public
house and street corner system OF re-
cruiting-not of the good old and now
forgotten system of cheating up" with
drum and fife.
They perched their dirty persons on the
tables as freely as they did on the rickety
chairs, with pots of Indifferent beer, adul-
terated stout or glasses of "dog's nose"
before them, with foul clay. pipes stuck
between their teeth, smoking Industrious
IL thereat and still more fouling the at
mosphere with the odor of course tobac-
CO; some singing, some swearing, and all
disposed to Chaff each other in rough and
unsayory terme-so we must hasten over
this portion of our story.
Whether Corpor5l Gutters-baptised
Albert Edward, for the snobs Of humble
life initiate those of the higher circle in
the love OF grand names-also of her Ms
jesty's T. II. W. +. L. W. O. regiment,
was 8 non-c commissioned officer of the
new school, we do not pretend to
say, but only know, that though
barely twenty and past the pacing
stick, he vas q finished scamp
and tyrant, who, after being wanted by
the police under several aliases in his na.
tive Whitechapel, had Joined the corps as
"lsrdwell recruit"
Cadsverous in visage, ne was sandy
haired, snd like an old boy, or premature
man. His upper lip, though of great
length, was, like his acutely receding
chm, hairless, and would probably ever
be so. bis cunning eyes were of wetery
grey, swollen and prOtrudiDg like those of
@ pug dog, which he strongly resembled
he had neither been well developed nor
well nourished, and his i'll shapen legs
were thickest at the ankles, and for 8
time past he had been fleeing the "John-
ME Raws" by the "Three Card Trick" in
which he excelled, with other London
street accomplishments.
he speedily fastened on Dick.
"Who's precious cur is this?" he asked,
snatching up Bingo-who, scared by the
general noise and row, had kept close
under his masters chair-by the pepe of
the neck, and swinging the poor animal
about in way the latter seemed well dis
posed TO resist with his teeth.
"Put down the dog, you fellow" cried
Dick, filed with wrath and alarm.
"Fellow, Who do you call that. you
id young wasp? Your cur, is it?" said
the corporal, laughing, though insolent
and irate. "It is clean agin the Queens
roofs and regulations for recruits to
have dswgs, and I'll toss this 'un into
the Glynne with stone at its neck"
"'Tsint 'arf bad 'un," interposed an
other warrior Of the Whitechapel type;
''he's worth flyer at least. Suppose,
lads, we get flyer on this ere dawg, and
has some Jolly drinks sill round?"
This proposal was greeted with storm
of applause and much clsnking of batter
ed pots upon the sloppy tables.
"All right" said the STRIPPING corporal.
'I knows 3 party at the Marlboro Arms
as will give Us the money"
Swelling with rsge and alarm, Dick,
who had started to his feet on this,
said
"Set down my deg, you insolent ras-
cal"
SHE'S mad-he is," said the corporal,
appealingly, to his companions. "Does
you know who you're s-speakin' to-" he
asked of Dick, while his grasp on the
terrier frightened.
"Do you know who you are speaking
to?" said Dick.
"Blest if do, or care"
swell, an 5 gentleman"
This assertion was greeted, sitter the
silence of moment or two, with roar
of laughter that was certainly genuine,
snd much dofipg in mockery of hslf-bul-
let hats; but this only added to the eXss
peration of Dick, who, before Sergeant
Hswksley could interfere, started for
ward and confronted the dog-stealer, for
such he considered him, amid cries Of
"Here's g rum goi"
"A gent-s gent-oh, WHIST lark"
And much more to the same purpose.
"Stand back, you id young muf,"
said the Corporal, "or r!l knock your
two sapguinary eyes into ope!"
"Two may play at that game" cried
Dick, who was fearless little gentle
man. and clenching his fists in way that
Reggie had taught him, he rushed on Gut
ters and dealt him in quick succession q
couple Of blows that, while nearly knock
ing him do xD, compelled him to release
the dog and stand on his own defense.
'fThis Is O hout and hout mutiny," he
cried with q fierce and filthy oath, and
was rushing on Dick, who must eyentu-
ally have had the worst of the brawl,
when the strong hand of the sergeant ar
rested him. HLet me co." cried Cutters,
choking With rage; "I'll-Pll murder the
young william"
mo you won't-he may hand you over
20 the poilce for dog stealing, and 1t won't
be the first time, perhsps-silence; l or
der you to be quiet" said the sergeant,
sternly, and the bully fell back sbsshed.
But Dick had received several side
blows from others who resented, perhaps,
the respectability Of his appearance, and
Ynore than ali tho inonp0yfune assertion